The first Mario vs. Donkey Kong was a very deliberate successor to Donkey Kong on Game Boy, which was in turn an evolution of the original arcade titles. Since then, focus has shifted away from puzzle-platforming towards pure puzzle-solving, more resembling the PC classic Lemmings than the girder-scaling gauntlets of yesteryear.

Now with Minis on the Move, the last vestiges of the series' illustrious origins have fallen off the port bow. Those clockwork contraptions, the Minis, have successfully commandeered the ship and steered it into peaceful waters, far away from the rough seas of man-ape rivalries and damsels-in-distress. Nothing remains save for you, your stylus, and the pitter-patter of tiny mechanical feet.